Sales of Lucid’s Air sedan are growing, and its new, high-riding Gravity brother has met with rave reviews, so why are sales of the SUV so awful?

That’s a question you might ask after learning that a pathetic nine examples of the theoretically more on-trend EV in Lucid’s lineup were registered in the first six months of 2025. The figures, first reported by Auto News, come from S&P Global Mobility, whose data set also confirmed the Air logged 4,780 registrations in the same period.

Related: Lucid Prepares An SUV That’s Built For More Than The Highway

Lucid sedan sales were up 52 percent year-on-year, but far more people want to buy SUVs than traditional-shaped four-door cars these days, so the nine-unit Gravity tally was disappointing to say the least.

“The Gravity nails its mission,” wrote Car and Driver after testing the $96,550 utility, praising its speed, range, and cargo space. But since the ultimate mission of any automaker is to sell cars, S&P GM’s numbers suggested it hadn’t nailed, but failed, its mission.

Lucid Pushes Back

Unlike U.S. President Donald Trump did upon hearing less than favorable job statistics, Lucid didn’t have a meltdown and demand the head of S&P GM’s adder-upper. But it did claim to Auto News reporters that the nine-cars figure was wildly inaccurate. The real numbers are in the “multiple hundreds,” it said in an email to the website.

Lucid explained the huge disparity between the two numbers as resulting from a lag between the date on which vehicles are sold and the date on which they’re registered.

The Gravity entered production in December 2024, but 2025’s first quarter production was ringfenced for showroom models and demo drives. Customers didn’t begin to get their own SUVs until spring, and even then, the production ramp-up was happening slower than anticipated, interim CEO Marc Winterhoff told AN in June. The loss-making company also trimmed its 2025 production forecast.

More Trims, More Volume to Come

Currently, the Gravity is only available in GT trim with 828 hp (840 PS / 617 kW) and a 450-mile (724 km) EPA range, but a year from now, with SUV production in full swing, the numbers will look very different, and registrations should relegate the Air sedan to a side-man.

Less than a month from now, Mercedes CEO will reveal the company’s new GLC EV at the Munich IAA and tell the world how this fast, long-range SUV with the retro-futuristic illuminated Benz grille will drive the three-pointed star into the 2030s. But separately, Ola Källenius is calling for an urgent rethink on EU legislation that will force buyers and carmakers to go electric by the middle of that decade.

Related: EU May Quietly Ban Gas Rentals Starting In 2030

“We need to do a reality check,” Källenius told Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper, referring to the EU rules that will effectively outlaw combustion-powered cars from 2035. “Otherwise, we’ll be driving full speed into the wall.”

Concerns over market readiness

Källenius is concerned that the European car market could collapse if lawmakers force EVs on buyers who aren’t ready for them. He believes customers will rush to buy the last remaining petrol and diesel cars in the years running up to the 2035 cut-off, and claims there are better ways to clean up the continent’s air without threatening entire nations’ economies.

“Of course, we have to decarbonize,” Källenius said, “but it has to be done in a technology-neutral way. We mustn’t lose sight of our economy. I wouldn’t set a specific date for the phase-out of combustion engine technology. An absolute target at a fixed time with draconian penalties won’t help.”

Incentives over bans

Instead, the 56-year-old German suggests more needs to be done to persuade buyers to make the shift of their own accord.

“Look at China. There, there’s no end date on this issue, no ban on any technology,” he told Handelsblatt. “Instead, low prices at charging stations and tax breaks provide strong incentives to buy all-electric cars. At the same time, however, unlike in Europe, various hybrid versions and combustion engines are permitted.”

Industry pushback grows

Källenius is pushing for a 2035 rethink not only as CEO of Mercedes, but in his new role as president of the European Automobile Industry Association (ACEA). And he’s not the only senior industry figure calling for the combustion ban to be overturned. Last year, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse declared the 2035 cutoff “unrealistic,” warning that it could increase European automaker reliance on Chinese batteries. 

Elon Musk’s long to-do list contains plenty of projects deemed more important than the long-awaited Roadster, which still has no firm ETA. But a British startup hopes to capitalize on that delay by launching its own Roadster EV, and it’s already snagged some high-level car industry execs to help make it happen.

Related: Former Tesla Execs Debut New Electric Roadster Named To Taunt Elon Musk

Former McLaren CEO, Mike Flewitt, ex-Lotus Europe CEO Dan Balmer, and Michael van der Sande, whose resume includes stints at Lucid Europe, JLR’s special projects division, and as head of Alpine, have all joined the advisory board of Longbow. The company was co-founded by engineer Daniel Davey, who brings experience from Lucid and Tesla.

Two cars, one platform

Longbow is working on two similar cars built around the company’s own aluminium EV architecture, the first of which is scheduled to start production in the UK in 2027. Called the Speedster, it’s a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive EV with no windshield, a target curb weight of an incredible 1,973 lbs (895 kg), and a promised zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 3.5 seconds.

Launching after the $110,000 Speedster is the related Roadster – and yes, that name is a deliberate dig at Tesla, whose own Roadster was originally mooted to carry a $250,000 price tag.

Costing just $84,000 if things go to plan, the removable-roof fastback is a tenth slower to 60 mph than the Speedster due to a 220 lbs (100 kg) weight penalty. Though even with the extra ballast, it still weighs less than a 15-year-old Lotus Elise, and half as much as most modern EVs.

“You have plans and you have ideas, but what you need to be able to do is sense check each of those with people who’ve done it before,” Davey told Autocar, explaining his rationale for bringing Flewitt, van der Sande, and Balmer on board.

Flewitt, who resisted calls for McLaren to produce an SUV and resigned abruptly in 2021, told the magazine he saw qualities in the Longbow cars that are no longer evident at other carmakers.

Veteran insight

“You look at [the Longbow] product, it’s a compact sports car; it’s built around driver engagement;  it’s a good size; It emphasises lightweight,” Flewitt said.

“These are all the characteristics which, frankly, I feel are starting to be lost in the industry. And to see somebody coming in with leading edge technology, but with those attributes at the forefront, is quite novel, and it really stood out to me.”

Longbow

Despite getting a facelift earlier this year, the formerly dominant Model Y has seen demand sagging, but Tesla has some tricks up its sleeve to help grab buyers’ attention. One is a Performance variant, something absent from the electric crossover’s lineup since the spring. Another is a basic entry-level trim. And then there’s this: the long-wheelbase Model Y L.

The L is already on sale in China and is due to make its European debut later this year. It gains around 6 inches (150 mm) of wheelbase over the 113.8 inches (2,890 mm) on the current Model Y that is used to add a third row of seats, most likely in a 2+2+2 configuration.

Related: This Could Be The Fastest Model Y Ever But Tesla Won’t Tell You

Although both US and European Model Ys were previously available with the option of a third row, it was pretty cramped as the wheelbase was the same and the feature wasn’t offered on the facelifted ‘Juniper’. Bringing a third row back, only this time with extra legroom, should improve the take-up rate and is vital in Europe, because the Model X was recently discontinued in the region.

The overall shape of the L is very similar to the stock Model Y’s, but the L’s stretch is evident in the shape of the rear door. On the SWB variant the wheelarch cuts a big chunk out of the door, but on the L the shutline is almost in front of the wheel. From the B pillar forward, however, the two Model Ys will be identical, both featuring the new LED light bar and slim headlights that arrived with the February facelift.

There’s another little L giveaway, though, one that you’ll spot even if you don’t get a look at the longer profile. And it’s a detail that looks like it ought to be fitted to the range-topping Model Y Performance that’s also due to launch later this year. Instead of a flat spoiler jutting out from below the rear window on the hatch, the L gets a ducktail spoiler worthy of an entry in a BMW tuner’s catalog.

Perhaps the L’s subtly different shape demands more stability at high speeds, not that it’s any speedier than the regular Model Y. In fact, due to a slight increase in curb weight it should, in theory, be fractionally slower than the dual-motor, AWD short-wheelbase model, which Tesla says can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds.

SHProshots

Ford promised a Model T moment this week, and the news it just dropped is undeniably huge. The headline is that a new $30,000 compact electric truck is in development and will arrive in 2027. But the story is much bigger and involves an entire family of affordable EVs that will follow in the truck’s wake.

More: Ford Delays Big EV Truck Again But Something Smaller Is Coming And It Could Be Named Ranchero

But let’s deal with the pickup first. Ford says it’s a four-door midsize electric truck, meaning it will fit in the range below the existing F-150 Lightning. It’ll start production in Ford’s Louisville plant in Kentucky two years from now, and will cost $30,000 – and that’s an MSRP, not a with-tax-credits price, because credits are being axed this September. Ford says the price matches what the Model T cost a century ago, adjusted for inflation.

Quick Like a Mustang, Roomy Like a RAV4

If this is already starting to sound like bad news for startup Slate Auto and its back-to-basics Slate electric truck, things only get worse. Instead of around 8 seconds to 60 mph (97 km/h), Ford says its electric pickup – which could be badged Ranchero – will be as quick as an Ecoboost Mustang, suggesting 5-second-grade performance. It even claims the truck will have “more downforce” than the Mustang.

And Ford also promises the four-door cabin will have as much interior space as a Toyota RAV4 SUV, says it has a frunk to give a car-like cargo bay, and a lockable bed that can swallow surfboards and other outsize gear. 

A Platform with Range

The EV rides on a brand new flexible electric platform that will spawn a huge family of other EVs, some very different from the truck, judging by Ford’s presentation. One gif showing the different types of vehicles the platform could accommodate showed everything from two-seat vans to three-row SUVs.

Compared with a conventional platform, the new architecture has 20 percent fewer parts, 25 percent fewer fasteners, requires 40 percent fewer plant workstations, and reduces build time by 15 percent, Ford claims. It also suggests the resulting vehicle will cost less over five years of ownership than a Tesla Model Y does over three.

“The numbers tell the story” Farley said. “Take for instance the wiring harness in the new midsize truck; it will be more than 4,000 feet (1.3 kilometers) shorter and 10 kilograms lighter than the one used in our first-gen electric SUV.”

Ford plans to cut costs further by equipping the truck with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. These packs are designed to be lighter and more compact, and they will double as part of the vehicle’s structure, forming the floor as well as the battery housing.

“We took inspiration from the Model T – the universal car that changed the world,” said Doug Field, Ford chief EV, digital and design officer. “We assembled a really brilliant collection of minds across Ford and unleashed them to find new solutions to old problems. We applied first‑principles engineering, pushing to the limits of physics to make it fun to drive and compete on affordability. Our new zonal electric architecture unlocks capabilities the industry has never seen. This isn’t a stripped‑down, old‑school vehicle.”

An Assembly Line Reinvented

The company will overhaul its manufacturing process with the Universal EV production system, replacing the traditional straight-line assembly with a branching “assembly tree.” In this setup, the front, rear, and structural battery pack are built on separate lines at the same time before being joined in final assembly.

Large single-piece aluminum castings reduce the number of parts, while pre-organized kits provide workers with all tools and components in the correct position, improving speed and ergonomics. According to Ford, the design “dramatically improves ergonomics for employees by reducing twisting, reaching and bending, allowing them to focus on the job at hand” .

Ford says the approach will make assembly of the midsize electric truck up to 40 percent faster than current Louisville-built vehicles, with part of that time reinvested in insourcing and automation to raise quality and lower costs. The net result is a 15 percent overall speed increase.

End Of The Road for Escape, Corsair

The arrival of Ford’s new generation of EVs at Louisville means the end of the road for the company’s Escape compact SUV as well as the Lincoln Corsair, both of which are currently assembled at the Kentucky plant.

Compared with their predecessors from a decade ago, today’s EVs go further, charge faster and have far more charging stations to choose from, but some would-be buyers still cite range anxiety as a reason for not going electric. And the results of a new study investigating the real range of EVs currently on sale suggests those fears are entirely justifiable.

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) picked five EVs from a mix of brands as part of its government-funded four-year test designed to arm the nation’s car buyers with honest data. After subjecting each of the electric cars to a real-world driving route it found one of models delivered 23 percent less range than its maker claims.

Related: After 100K Miles, VW’s EV Barely Lost Range Thanks To One Trick

That car, the BYD Atto 3, only achieved 229 miles (369 km) before needing a recharge, representing a 69-mile (111 km) shortfall on the Chinese automaker’s 298-mile (480 km) official figure. Tesla’s Model 3 didn’t tell quite so big a lie, but it also failed to live up to its official range figures by a fairly large margin considering the tests weren’t carried out in the Arctic. The 274 miles (441 km) it achieved was 14 percent lower than Tesla’s 319-mile (513 km) claim.

Inconsistent Accuracy

But the big takeaway from the investigation isn’t that all EV range claims are wildly inaccurate. All five cars delivered fewer miles than advertized, and the BYD was wildly off. But one of the cars very nearly matched its official range, falling just 5 percent short, and it’s this difference across the brands, and cross models within the same brand, that’s the real problem for consumers.

If they knew that every car over-promised by 20 percent, it would be easier to make buying decisions than it is when you’ve no idea which brands to believe. It’s for this reason that these kind of independent tests are so useful for buyers looking at spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new car.

Standout Performer

The AAA’s test champ was the Smart #3, whose 268-mile (432 km) true range was only 14 miles (23 km) out. Kia’s EV6 and the Tesla Model Y also performed relatively well, each returning 8 percent less range than claimed.

AAA

Remember a couple of years back when Hyundai and Kia owners were scared to take their cars out of the garage due to the skyrocketing theft rates? Those owners sleep easier these days thanks to beefed up onboard security, and the insurance industry has a new least-favorite car. It’s the Camaro ZL1, which is a staggering 39 times more likely than the average car in the US to be stolen, according to a new study.

Related: How Hyundai And Kia Sparked America’s Largest Drop In Car Thefts In 40 Years

The supercharged Chevy muscle car tops the list of cars with the highest theft rates by a wide margin. It’s so bad it makes even the second-place Acura TLX – 21 times more likely to get stolen – seem as safe as houses in comparison.

And the ZL1 wasn’t the only Camaro on the list from the Highway Loss Data Institute. The regular Camaro placed third with a 13x theft rate, the study’s authors noting that models built after the arrival of a push-button starter in 2016 are particularly prone to disappearing.

Why Muscle Cars Attract Thieves

“Muscle cars have often topped this list, as thieves are attracted to vehicles with high horsepower,” said Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at HLDI. “That also helps explain why the more expensive, more powerful ZL1 is stolen so much more often than the standard Camaro.”

But if the hp count provided the motive, thieves’ ability to clone Camaro keys provided the means. GMC’s Sierra 2500 crew cab is the worst offending truck on the list (10x the average rate) and piles further shame on GM’s anti-theft tech, and after another appearance by an Acura TLX (2WD, 8x), it’s back to The General again for the GMC Sierra 3500 (7.4x) and Chevy Silverado 3500 (6.4x).

GM’s Dominance In The Rankings

GM dominates the top 20, in fact, with nine vehicles on the board, including the Cadillac Escalade (20th place, 2.6x). Stellantis has five, but European premium brands do relatively well, BMW, Mercedes and Land Rover only meriting one black mark each for the X7, S-Class and Range Rover.

Individual Hyundai and Kia models don’t figure anywhere on the list of 20 now that the Korean automakers have added electronic immobilizers. The theft claims were 52 percent lower for cars with the upgrade, though around 40 percent of owners still haven’t had the fix and the brands’ vehicles are still five times more likely to get stolen than the average car.

No One Wants To Steal EVs

At the other end of the scale, Teslas dominated the list of 20 cars with the lowest claim frequencies, with the Model 3 coming out top due to a claim frequency 1/100th of the average. And they weren’t the only electrified vehicles in attendance. In total there were eight EVs on the table and four hybrids, proving that thieves prefer traditional ICE-powered cars.

VEHICLES WITH HIGHEST THEFT CLAIMS

IIHS/HLDI

VEHICLES WITH HIGHEST THEFT CLAIMS

H/T to Road & Track

Mercedes-AMG teased its new electric GT earlier this summer with a four-door coupe concept that hid a 1,341 hp (1,360 PS / 1,000 kW) surprise under its bright orange skin. But its SUV take on the same recipe you see in these new scoop shots is sure to be an even bigger hit for the Affalterbach crew.

Related: You Won’t Recognize AMG’s Cars Two Years From Now

Development work on the unnamed, but very sporty utility has switched to the Nurburgring and our spy photo team was on hand to capture the electric SUV pounding the pavement of the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) track.

Testing on the Edge

Interestingly, the photo guys say AMG’s engineers sometimes enter and exit the circuit by some of the other barriers located around the long track, perhaps to avoid the gaze of cameras, or maybe to prevent anyone publishing unrepresentative lap times. But in this case, the two-row EV took in every one of the Ring’s dozens of curves.

Though still heavily disguised, the prototype gives away a shape that’s more crossover than traditional upright SUV. Think Lamborghini Urus or Ferrari Purosangue, rather than Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Bentley Bentayga. It has flush door handles, frameless door glass and a low ride height, though we expect drivers will be able to alter the amount of ground clearance by using a drive mode selector to tweak the air suspension settings.

SHProshots

Not visible in these images is the front end design, and though teaser images of the new GLC EV’s illuminated grille revealed last week clued us in to how Mercedes-branded cars will look in future, it’s likely AMG’s SUV will have a different styling.

The GT XX sedan concept had a new take on AMG’s Panamericana grille, where the outer frame was lit up, but the vertical grille bars and Mercedes star were not.

Performance and Launch

We do know the production version of the XX shares its AMG.EA platform with the SUV, as well as its Yasa axial flux motor tech. The SUV’s exact spec is still firmly under wraps, but we understand it could be offered in both two and three-motor configurations, and going by the XX’s numbers, the hottest could deliver 1,341 hp.

That compares with 715 hp (725 PS) for the 6.5-liter V12 Purosangue, and while there’ll be no comparison when it comes to noise, the AMG won’t be completely silent. It will have a synthesised soundtrack that could replicate the tune of an AMG V8 using speakers in its headlights, and you can expect simulated shifting, too. The SUV should debut in 2027, a year behind the sedan.

SHProshots

China’s government is done with watching the country’s car industry going at war with itself. Officials are concerned that the ongoing EV price war threatens the nation’s economic growth and is demanding automakers take action. And if they don’t take action, the government has plans to do it for them.

Related: The Company That Started The EV Price War Now Says It’s Gone Too Far

President Xi Jinping gave a couple of speeches recently in which he warned off the dangers of “involution,” where businesses invest ever larger sums of money and get less back. He was referring to the boom in multiple sectors, including AI and computing power, The Guardian reports, but one of the big villains Xi had in mind is the car industry.

Deep Discounts, Rising Concerns

Some car brands in China have cut prices to levels that look simply outrageous in the West. BYD’s Seagull subcompact EV costs as little as ¥55,800 ($7,800) in China, but the same car sold in Europe, where it’s called the Dolphin Surf, costs the equivalent of $26,000. Even allowing for the tariffs placed on Chinese cars being imported to Europe that’s a huge difference.

Though BYD seems profitable, as is Li Auto and Seres, most of the circa-50 Chinese EV brands are not making money and many are expected to disappear over the next few years. Electric car discounts across the industry averaged almost 17 percent in April, compared with just 8 percent during 2024.

The government has proposed an amendment to its pricing laws which could limit automakers’ abilities to set unnaturally low prices.

Factory Floors Sitting Idle

BYD was one of several automakers hauled over the coals last month in front of Chinese officials where they were cautioned about producing too many cars, according to The Guardian. Over-investment has led to overcapacity in the industry, with some automakers’ plants only running at 2 percent utilization or less, Bloomberg reported in June.

One option to prevent oversupply in the Chinese market without choking production is to to export more cars, something that is already happening. Chinese automakers currently sell 5.1 percent of the new vehicles registered in Europe.

Lead image BYD/Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes is breathing new life into what was once its cars’ most distinctive feature. The brand has dropped the first undisguised teaser image of its new GLC compact electric SUV, revealing its retro-futuristic illuminated grille.

More: Mercedes Is Replacing Its Most Disappointing EV With Something Way More Serious

Though EVs don’t have the same cooling requirements as combustion cars, the replacement for the EQC will have the most eye-catching grille of any Mercedes car when it is unveiled at the Munich IAA next month. The wide-set frame bucks current automotive fashion by going big on chrome, and also features a smoked glass-effect lattice structure between the bars.

A Familiar Shape Reinvented

But GLC buyers will have to pay extra to maximize the grille’s look-at-me potential. An optional illumination package adds 942 light-up dots, which are animated to bring the car to life as the driver approaches, and also illuminates the iconic three-pointed star and surrounding panel. 

Mercedes has taken flak for the boring soap-bar design of its slow-selling EQE and EQS electric cars, and the new grille design will help ensure the GLC is more memorable. But it sounds like the BMW iX3 and Porsche Macan Electric rival won’t be the only model to get this new lit front-end.

A Brand-Wide Shift in Design

According to Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener, the grille marks more than just a facelift. “Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand,” said Mercedes design boss, Gordon Wagener. “It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable.”

The change is part of a broader strategy. Autocar reports Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius as saying the brand’s reimagined grille would help Mercedes stand out “in current times, with 100-plus Chinese firms.”

Charging Ahead with GLC 400 4Matic

The first of the new GLCs to launch is the GLC 400 4Matic with EQ technology. Though exact specs are still under wraps we know it can add around 162 miles (260 km) of electric range in just 10 minutes thanks to its ability to charge at over 320 kW. Like all new GLCs it features 800-volt tech, and unlike the launch versions of the new CLA EV, will also be able to charge at 400-volt stations from the get-go.

Mercedes

Much has changed for Porsche since its 2022 stock market debut, and we’re not just talking about the share price, which has fallen to less than half of its peak value. Sales are down, too, and so is faith in the electric-focused future model plan Porsche had put in motion before the IPO. Now the company’s boss admits it was wrong to turn away from combustion power, and he’s taking steps to rectify the mistake.

Related: Porsche Could Announce A New Macan ICE As Soon As March

Maybe mistake is too harsh a word. Porsche created its EV-heavy product strategy, which included phasing out the combustion 718 twins and Macan in favor of electric versions, when all the market signals pointed to sustained growth in EV sales and the brand was flying high in China. It didn’t read the signals wrong, the signals themselves proved to be wrong.

After Sales Slump, Strategy Shift

“We continue to face significant challenges around the world,” CEO Oliver Blume conceded as Porsche announced half-year figures showing total sales were down 6 percent and profit had slumped by a scary 67 percent. “This is not a storm that will pass. The world is changing dramatically, and above all, differently than expected just a few years ago,” he added.

That’s not to say Porsche’s EVs have gone down like lead balloons. Taycan sales were strong until recently, and the new Macan Electric has been a big hit. More than a third of all Porsches sold in Europe are now fully electric, and half of buyers choosing a Macan, Porsche’s best selling model, go for the EV.

That gives the brand a bigger slice of the electric segment than some of its rivals, but the slower than expected growth in the EV market – particularly in the US, where growth appears to be stalling – means that segment is smaller than predicted.

Macan’s ICE Successor Coming By 2028

Part of Blume’s plan to steady the ship is to put more energy into traditional combustion models. “A more balanced drivetrain portfolio from 2028 onward will enhance market positioning and underpin sustainable long-term growth,” said Blume.

It’s not abandoning EVs by any means, but the Macan Electric is getting a previously unplanned ICE counterpart after all. When asked by an investor during the H1 2025 Earnings Call about the ICE Macan’s successor, Blume revealed that it will be introduced no later than 2028.

“It won’t be later than 2028. We’re developing a compact SUV with both ICE and hybrid versions,” said Blume. “And that’s what we said by the end of the decade, a global rollout in all markets. We are speeding up the process with very short development times and making a very, very typical Porsche for this segment and also differentiated from the BEV Macan. So we think, especially for the SUVs now, we’ll have a very flexible product lineup between Macan and Cayenne across all drivetrain options.”

One thing Blume didn’t clarify is whether the new combustion-powered compact SUV will retain the Macan name or debut under a new nameplate, potentially setting it apart from its electric sibling. That decision could signal how closely Porsche intends to align the two models, or how much distance it wants between them.

Furthermore, the Cayenne (pictured below) will be offered with a choice of electric and combustion engines and the electric K1 super-SUV due at the end of the decade could now also get an ICE option, Automobilwoche reports.

The 718 Boxster and Cayman – believed to be delayed until 2027 due to the collapse of battery supplier Northvolt – would seem even more deserving of an ICE option, but it’s unclear if that will happen.

Global Hurdles Beyond Powertrains

Making more combustion cars won’t help fix the sales disaster in China, where deliveries have fallen by 28 percent this year and are unlikely to fully recover, or deal with President Trump’s new 15 percent tariffs on Porsche cars coming to the US from Europe. Job cuts and price increases are helping to minimise the financial sting from those problems being felt at the Stuttgart HQ.

Apart from slightly higher prices, though, as far as Porsche buyers are concerned this upheaval, and the greater choice of powertrains and cars it will bring, can only be seen as good news.

Motorcycle brands are struggling with a 15 percent fall in global demand, and Harley is faring worse than most. CEO Jochen Zeitz just revealed an 18 percent drop in registrations for 2025, along with news of a bargain-priced Hoglet that might just turn that slide around.

Related: Harley Rider Hits Deer At Speed And Somehow Never Falls Off

It’s no secret that Harley has been working on more affordable models for a while – the cheapest of its current bikes in the US costs around $10,000, making it irrelevant to many younger buyers. The brand will reveal the first of its budget machines later this year, ahead of sales starting in 2026, Zeit confirmed on a recent earnings call, adding that it was targeting a price “below $6,000.”

A Familiar Name, Revived

Called the Sprint – a name used on budget Harleys designed to combat Honda’s offensive in the 1960s – the new bike is due to be presented to dealers in October, and will be joined next year by a companion cruiser-style model presumably built around the same basic components.

No technical details were revealed, but in keeping with its price and aim of attracting new riders, it will have a much smaller capacity than the brand’s current 975-cc and up machines.

“Inspired by our heritage and the spirit of the iconic Harley Davidson Sprint motorcycle, this new bike embodies boldness, irreverence and fun, capturing the rebellious energy that defines the Harley-Davidson experience,” Zeitz said.

“We believe this motorcycle will not only be highly accessible, but also profitable, marking a significant step forward in driving Harley-Davidson’s future profitable growth and opening up a new path in motorcycle segment for the company in future years for its key markets.”

Harley hasn’t revealed where the bike will be manufactured or by whom. It has already found huge success marketing a circa-$3,000, single-cylinder bike, the X440, in India, but this is engineered and built by local company Hero Motorcorp and is not available in Europe or the US.

LiveWire Looks to Go Smaller

Zeit also confirmed that Harley’s struggling LiveWire electric sub-brand will also target younger, cost-conscious buyers by putting into production a pair of mini motos it showed in concept form earlier this year. The bikes, one intended for trails, the other for road use, can reach 30 mph (50 km) in 3 seconds, top out at 53 mph (85 km/h), and have a 100-mile (160 km) range.

The move comes at a critical time for LiveWire, which sold just 88 electric bikes in the first half of 2025, a steep 68 percent decline. The brand posted a $38.4 million loss over the same period, underscoring the urgency of finding a more viable product-market fit.

LiveWire

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Update: With the Munich IAA show fast approaching, Skoda has dropped another shadowy teaser of its upcoming Vision O Wagon. Original story continues below.

It’s a great time to be a Skoda salesman. The Czech company’s registrations were up 13.6 percent in the first six months of 2025 due in no small part to the success of its electric SUVs, the Elroq and Enyaq. They’ll be joined this year by the smaller Epiq, but today Skoda reminded us that its big-selling sedans and wagons are also getting the EV treatment.

VW’s non-nonsense Czech brand is teasing the Vision O concept it will reveal in full at the Munich IAA in September. The ‘O’ tells us it previews the next-generation Octavia compact, which is due on sale before the end of the decade and features an EV drivetrain for the first time.

Related: Your Insane Appetite For SUVs Is Killing Skoda’s Dreams Of Fun Sports Cars, But There’s Hope

A single silhouetted image shows the unmistakable profile of a wagon, and one that looks sportier than anything Skoda has produced up until now. The windshield is swept back into a low roofline that drops slightly at the rear, where it’s met by a rear hatch angled to earn style and aero efficiency points, rather than luggage-carrying ones.

There’s a definite Audi feel to the design, which calls to mind the A6 e-tron Avant from sister company Audi, though the front and rear LED signature makes clear this is Skoda’s work. Skoda says the concept will show how the brand is developing its Modern Solid design language for the next generation of its cars.

Under the skin, the next Octavia isn’t twinned with the bigger A6 e-tron, which uses VW’s PPE platform, but the smaller VW ID.Golf that’s due to hit showrooms by 2029, around the same time as the Skoda. The Golf and Octavia EVs will ride on the Group’s SSP platform, and each gets 800-volt charging tech, but a longer wheelbase and overall length mean the Skoda will offer more interior and luggage space, and should cost slightly less. Owners have long argued that the Octavia is the best Golf.

Single and dual-motor powertrains will be on the menu when the production car hits the street in three to four years, but don’t expect it to render the current combustion Octavia obsolete immediately. The popularity of hybrid powertrains in Europe means the two models will likely overlap for some time.

The gallery below contains renderings Skoda released in 2023 when it first revealed plans for an electric Octavia.

Skoda

Henrik Fisker’s dream of building an EV empire to rival Tesla collapsed last year, but if you browse one dealer’s website, you’d think you imagined the whole thing. It has more than 20 cars in stock with almost no miles, and the website blurb appears to make no mention that Fisker went belly up or that looking after one of the EVs in the years to come could prove tricky.

The dealer is Newport Fisker in Costa Mesa, California, whose inventory – first spotted by Daily Revs – is made up of 36 Teslas and 24 examples of the Ocean, the only model Fisker managed to get to production before financial troubles sank the company. All but one of those 24 is a virtually unused 2023 model, with most having just 50 miles (80 km) on their digital odometers.

Related: Rivian And Chase Rescue Fisker Ocean Owners From Drowning

Prices range from $22,990 to $27,990, down from the Ocean’s original $41-71k MSRP, which could potentially offer some good value for a brand new EV – even one that reviewers found was a bit rough around the edges. But it still might not be low enough to tempt most people to overlook the bankruptcy baggage, specifically concerns over how a buyer might deal with any technical problems down the road as there’s no factory left to support them.

Fifteen of the EVs are in fancy One trim, which delivered up to 564 hp (572 PS / 420 kW) for a sub-4-second zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time and paired to a big 106 kWh battery for an EPA-rated range of 360 miles (580 km). The minimalist dashboard’s party piece was a 17.1-inch touchscreen that could rotate between portrait and landscape orientations on all but the base ‘Sport’ model.

Based on the huge number of recalls announced so far, anyone who does take the plunge can expect to encounter some problems at some point. But several commenters on Reddit who picked up the story say they’ve bought similar Oceans from Newport Fisker and are very happy with them so far. They also recommend new buyers check out YouTube channels such as Ocean Views by MTN Ranger for tips on keeping the EVs working.

Incredible as it may seem, Newport Fisker isn’t the only dealer with dozens of almost brand-new Oceans waiting for new homes. Lumin Fisker of Folsom, CA, has 26 examples, but they’re considerably more expensive, being priced at between $30,995 and $37,495. Would you take a gamble on a nearly-new Ocean if the price was low enough? And how low would that price have to be?

Newport Fisker

H/t to Daily Revs

Fun retro style and a bargain price tag have helped make Renault’s 5 EV a massive hit, and now the automaker is looking to replicate that success one rung down the size and affordability ladder. The automaker has already shown next year’s Twingo in concept form, and now we’ve got pictures of the baby EV testing in prototype form.

Renault has bolted its Twingo badge to various small cars over the years, but the new one harks back to the 1993 original, an egg-shaped one-box hatch with distinctive frog-like eyes. But instead of two doors and a wheezy petrol engine, the new one has a practical four-door layout and zippy all-electric powertrain.

Related: Renault’s Updated Twingo Concept Hints At Next Year’s €20,000 EV

The 5’s baby brother goes on sale next year when it’s expected to cost less than €20,000 (£17k / $23k). That’ll make it slightly more expensive than the most basic Dacia Spring and Leapmotor 01, and put it into battle with the €19,990 Dolphin Surf from China’s BYD and – eventually – VW’s ID.1.

Renault previewed its budget EV with the Twingo E-Tech concept, which made its debut last year and was wheeled out again at the start of 2025, after some minor cosmetic surgery. The first shots of a prototype tell us the production car will stick close to the concept’s promise. Its wheels are pushed tight into each corner to free up as much interior space as possible, the windshield is swept back, just like the original Twingo’s, and the bulging headlights ensure it has the same friendly face.

The large charging port flap on the passenger fender is a different shape, sitting on the other side of the one on the concept, and this test car appears to have conventional door handles, whereas the show car had them concealed in the front door skin and the upper door frame next to the C-pillar. We’re hoping they’ll have migrated to their original concept positions by the time the car makes its production debut.

Nicolas Laperruque/SHProshots

We don’t get to see inside the Twingo this time, but the concept had a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a separate 10.1-inch floating infotainment screen. Renault doesn’t make a habit of overpromising and underdelivering. It didn’t reveal any tech specs for the Twingo E-Tech, but common sense says it’ll identify on a shortened version of the same AmpR Small architecture found in the Renault 4 and 5.

If it gets the same 40 kWh battery and 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW) single-motor setup as the base 5 it should be good for over 200 miles (320 km) of range and zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) in around 11 seconds, though 121 hp (122 PS / 90 kW) and even 148 hp (150 PS / 110 kW) upgrades could be an option tick away.

Renault

VW’s sporty Cupra brand just posted its best-ever half-year sales figures, but one plan that could have helped supercharge the company’s growth has just hit the skids. A project to launch Cupra onto the American market within five years is now off the table, it confirmed this week.

Related: Cupra’s Latest Concept Hints At Its Future

Citing “ongoing challenges within the automotive industry” and “evolving market dynamics,” Cupra has abandoned its US 2030 expansion strategy, and though it didn’t go into any more detail than that, a slowdown in EV take-up in America and import tariffs on cars exported there from Europe are surely behind the decision.

Under the terms of a deal just reached between the US and the EU, European cars will attract a 15 percent levy, up from just 2.5 percent before the tariff chaos started this spring.

Electric Crossovers and a North American Footprint

Cupra announced it would land on US soil with two electric crossovers, one a successor to the current combustion Formentor, and the second a bigger electric SUV. The larger model was to be built at a VW Group plant in North America, though possibly one in Mexico, whose output is now subject to hefty 30 percent tariffs. Another report suggested Cupra was talking to the US Penske dealer group about selling EVs, PHEVs, and combustion models.

But Cupra was eager to make clear this week that it wasn’t abandoning its ideas of expanding to North America altogether, merely putting them on indefinite hold. Four years from now, with another US president in the hot seat, the trade situation could look quite different.

“We’re not stopping, just postponing our U.S. launch and will continue to monitor market developments in the coming years to determine the best timing and approach, aligned with the brand’s long-term vision,” said Sven Schuwirth, Executive Vice-President for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Cupra’s parent company, Seat.

Tariffs Are Taking a Toll Elsewhere, Too

Cupra’s sales are already impacted by another set of tariffs because the China-built Tavascan is clobbered with a 21.3 percent duty when entering the EU, on top of the 10 percent applied to all imports. But despite the setback, increased production costs for all of its models, and greater competition, Cupra deliveries grew by 33.4 percent to 167,600 in the first six months of 2025.

Lead image Cupra/ChatGPT

Ferrari has promised to reveal its first ever EV next spring, having given us a look at the Elettrica’s (name still tentative) electric heart at the back end of this year. It’s uncharted land for the Italian supercar brand so it appears to be checking its work against a Chinese car that’s already wowed the world with its performance.

Related: Xiaomi Shatters Its Nurburgring Record Again And Immediately Launches Limited Edition

That car is a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra sedan, which was spotted coming out of the gates of Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters in Italy, its yellow paint and dual silver stripes – the same combo used in most of Xiaomi’s marketing pics – making it difficult to miss.

An Unexpected Visitor at Maranello

Ferrari, like every other brand, is constantly buying and borrowing cars from rival automakers for research purposes. But even five years ago the idea of the world’s most famous sports car company thinking a Chinese car was worth investigating would have been laughable.

Plenty has changed in those five years. The SU7 Ultra is currently the fastest electric production car around the Nurburgring, its 7:04.957 time improving on the Porsche Taycan’s by almost three seconds. And separately, an Ultra prototype has recorded an unholy 6:22.091, putting it ahead of everything except VW’s ID.R racer and Porsche’s 919 Evo Le Mans weapon.

The SU7’s Taycan-like coupe-sedan bodywork hides a triple-motor electric drivetrain that makes 1,526 hp (1,547 PS / 1,138 kW), sends it to 62 mph (100 kmh) in 1.98 sec and delivers a 223 mph (359 kmh) top speed.

Ferrari already knows how to make cars handle, so it seems possible that its focus of interest would be the electric platform and things like thermal management during sustained fast driving. And we also know that Xiaomi’s CEO shares an equal interest in Ferrari’s products. Lei Jun was spotted last year driving a red Purosangue, and we’re sure he’ll be keen to get his hands on Maranello’s EV when deliveries begin in fall 2026.

Company insiders have suggested the Italian brand’s first EV will be a limited production car to get people used to the idea of an engine-less car with a horse on the hood, and that it’s the second EV, which will take on an crossover-like form, that will be more significant. But Ferrari has delayed that car until 2028 due to weak demand in the luxury EV space, Reuters reported last month.

Weibo/Sago Soup/Piniluoshan

H/t to CarNewsChina

Electric vehicles don’t drive around with half a bathtub worth of flammable liquid slung beneath the rear seat, but it seems they’re even more likely to present a fire risk. The latest automaker to issue a fire-related recall is Hyundai, which is telling some of its EV owners not to park near other cars or buildings until they’ve had some important repair work done to their cars.

Also: Hyundai’s Fastest Electric Sedan Can Drift And Snarl Like A Gas Car While Hitting 62 In 3.2

The advice – which is easier said than done for people who live anywhere near civilization – applies only to a small number of owners of MY25 Ioniq 5s. Hyundai estimates 10 of the EVs are equipped with batteries whose bus bars weren’t correctly tightened, leading to a risk of a short circuit which could in turn cause a fire.

What Went Wrong

A busbar is a metal strip, usually made from copper or aluminum, that connects the individual cells that make up a battery pack. A neat description from Ennvoi says the battery is the heart of an EV and the busbars are the blood vessels that send electrical current through the car’s various systems.

Hyundai believes a torque tool controller belonging to the Battery System Assembly (BSA) supplier failed, resulting in some bus bars being insufficiently tightened. The error was discovered a routine inspection of battery packs and an audit revealed some of those dodgy batteries has already made their way into delivered cars.

Although no accidents or fires have yet been reported, Hyundai cautions that over time the bus bar retaining bolts could work loose and cause an electrical arcing inside the battery pack. It could also trigger a voltage sensing error that would send the EV into limp mode.

What Affected Owners Should Do

Those 10 rogue Ioniq 5s will need to head back to a dealership to have their bus bar bolts tightened. Hyundai says owners can continue driving until they get the fix, but recommends they think carefully about where they park between now and when they get the all-clear.

Tesla sales are in free-fall and the automaker doesn’t have any genuinely new product on the horizon ready to save the day. Instead, as Elon Musk himself hinted, Tesla is stripping features from the existing Model Y to build a more affordable SUV. Today, we got our first look at the no-frills EV that could cost as little as $36,000.

Also: Tesla’s Bigger Model Y Just Leaked And It’s Packing More Than Extra Legroom

The de-contented Model Y was spied in China where Tesla is facing stiff competition from domestic rivals engaged in a fierce price war. Images show a prototype of the budget Y parked next to a regular version of the SUV featuring the facelifted ‘Juniper’ look that was revealed earlier this year.

Scaling Back the Juniper Touches Inside and Out

But Chinese reports and spy shots suggest some of the key Juniper features, the front light bar and full-width rear light strip, have been cut from the entry-level machine.

There are some important omissions inside, too, where rear-seat passengers might find themselves feeling rather more claustrophobic. And that’s not because there’s less rear space, but because it looks much darker in there. Tesla has junked the panoramic roof to cut costs, replacing it with a simple black panel.

Other features missing from the interior include the 8-inch rear compartment touchscreen and the console found on all other facelifted Model Ys. The new EV does have a console, but it’s split, the portion between the seats ending with a pair of open cupholders just after the armrest.

What’s Still Included, and What Might Not Be

The 15.4-inch touchscreen is still present, and another aspect of the new base car that won’t be simplified, China’s Autohome reports, is the ADAS. We expect the budget Y to come equipped with Autopilot, just like other trims, though whether Tesla will reduce the power and range remains to be seen. America’s current entry-level Model Y, the Long Range RWD does zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) in 5.4 seconds and has an EPA range of 357 miles (575 km).

That LR RWD is available for $37,490 in the US right now, but only thanks to a $7,500 tax credit that is being phased out in September – its MSRP is $44,990. By stripping out some of the luxuries Tesla hopes it can deliver a Model Y at a tax-credit price even after the subsidy has disappeared. Some reports have suggested the price could be a low as $36,000 when it goes on sale in the final few months of 2025.

Geek Piggy/Garage 42 / Weibo

It may be small in size, but Honda’s cute N-One e: prototype made a big splash at this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed even if it didn’t make a lot of noise in the process. Now, the production version of this pint-sized electric car has made its official debut in Japan.

Related: One Cheap Adapter Unlocks A Huge Perk For Acura And Honda EV Owners

An electric kei microcar, the N-One e: is a slab-sided, high-roof, boxy city car with a friendly robot-like face and tiny wheels that make it look cute and gawky at the same time. Unlike the Goodwood car, which featured fender flares, the Japanese version goes without to ensure it complies with the kei rules that govern everything from external dimensions to power outputs.

Built for Kei Compliance

So although Honda hasn’t revealed much in the way of technical spec, we can be sure it measures less than 3,400 mm (133.9inches) long and produces no more than 63 hp (64 PS / 47 kW) from its single electric motor.

Its electric hardware is almost certainly shared with the taller N-Van e: revealed last year, which Honda claimed could travel 152 miles (245 km) on a charge – the N-One will eke out a few more miles than that. The N-Van accepts 50 kW DC charging, which is slow, but the small battery can be charged in around 30 minutes.

Simple, Practical Interior With Smart Touches

The N-One’s interior looks simple, but not totally basic, and we like the fact that there are plenty of physical buttons and a rotary volume dial on the media screen. The transmission selector on the console looks much like the one on Hondas familiar to us in Europe and the US, and a simple button to the right allows the driver to easily engage a one-pedal mode.

A shelf below the touchscreen provides an obvious place to leave your smartphone within easy reach of the charging port (no wireless charging here) and the rear seats fold flat with a 50:50 split to maximize practicality. But the real headline feature is the V2L function that allows owners to use the N-One to power their homes during outages or other devices like electric bikes or laptops.

V2L Capability Adds Real-World Utility

To use V2L, owners will need to purchase an adaptor from Honda’s accessory catalog, which also includes a dash-top LED indicator to let you know how full the battery is and a sporty cosmetic kit with twin Shelby-style stripes running front to back.

Japanese sales of the N-One begin this September, the same month Honda is expected to give the pint-sized EV its European debut at the IAA in Munich. Sadly, there are no plans to bring the car to the US.

Honda